Sokka's leg was bouncing uncontrollably. He and Suki had just arrived at the hospital, where Aang and Katara had been taken. Body was trembling with the force his bouncing leg, worried and scared for the couple. They had been through so much already and the thought of either of them hurt made his gut churn. Aang was in surgery, but for what cause...that made his stomach clench. He had been shot to give Katara time to fight back, to think get her out of harm's way. No matter how much pain the guy was in, he had been willing to die to let her live another day.
'What a brave, stupid kid,' he thought to himself, pressing his mouth to his hands. Aang would have died if not for Katara. The ambulance had come as soon as it could, but even then, if she hadn't made the choice to save them...
His own sister had shot Reynolds. Or the Viper, the assassin sent by Azula to murder them. They didn't know the man's real identity yet, but the police are doing all they can to find out. It didn't really matter to Sokka right then; the man was dead and his best friend and sister were alive. That was main focus on his mind: They were still among the living.
Katara had told them what happened after the doctors deemed her fine enough for visitors. How Aang had shoved her aside, taking the bullet instead, which bought his sister enough time to react. Did she really shoot someone? It bogged his mind that it was true, but he knew that haunted look in her eyes. Sokka could only hope that she would recover fro this in time, but he knew from his father's stories that it was a hard thing to reconcile with; taking someone's life, despite it being in self defense, was a difficult trial to overcome.
Suki must have seen the anguished look on his face because she reached around his shoulders and hugged him. He laid his head against her shoulder, grateful that she was there. "They'll be okay," she murmured soothingly.
He sniffled, realizing that tears were slowly leaving his eyes. "I know; I just..." Taking a shaky breath, he finished in a whisper, "We nearly lost them."
Suki nodded sadly, but there was a glint of steel in her gaze that reassured his heart. "But they made it through; together, they came out of the fight alive."
Sighing, Sokka closed his eyes, weary from the events. "At least we have that to be grateful for."
She squeezed his shoulder. "We will win this battle. Azula won't get away from hurting one of our own. We just need a plan."
Azula...how he hated that name, despised that woman. She was the root of Aang's problems, the monster that brought danger into their lives. It pissed him off thinking of that wretched bitch. When they caught her, he was going to beat the living-!
Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind to calm down. Azula does deserve to be brought to justice, but not in the way he was thinking. He was letting his emotions cloud his judgment, overpowering his thoughts to the point of almost being bloodthirsty. Instead of doing what he most wanted, he had to let reason take over. She will be brought in; no matter what she does, she will be caught.
The doors opened, revealing Hakoda, with two coffees in his hands. He went over to the couple and handed the lightly creamed coffee to Sokka, who mumbled a thanks as he took a sip. The warmth of the beverage settled his nerves somewhat, though the feeling of worry lingered in his heart. He hoped that Aang was alright...
It was then that the lead surgeon, Dr. Samuel Greene, came over. His gray hair was short, glasses slightly magnifying his ice blue eyes, he was a man who didn't beat around the bush and took his job seriously. Sokka nearly dropped his coffee as the trio stood up to greet the man.
"How is he?" he asked, nerves coming back tenfold. He needed to know if his best friend was going to be okay.
Dr. Greene took off his glasses, pulling a cloth out to clean them. "The boy was lucky. The bullet left a gash in his side, but it was more of a flesh wound. He's going to be just fine."
The tension left Sokka at hearing the news, making him feel shaky. "Oh, thank God," he muttered in relief. "When is he able to come home?"
The doctor looked at him sternly. "We would like to keep him here for at least a week, just to be sure infection doesn't settle in. After that he should be free to leave."
Suki jumped in then. "Can we see him?" It took Sokka a moment to remember that Aang's parents had adopted Suki after they had met, back in New York. It would make sense for her to see her brother.
Dr. Greene looked at them both before turning to his father. Hakoda, now sitting, said, "I'll wait here."
With a nod, the doctor turned to the other two and warned, "He will be out of it for a while; no sudden noises. Am I clear?"
When they gave a promise to be quiet, the an led them to the recovery bay. Sokka's heart felt heavy, but at least he had Suki with him; the idea of seeing his friend without her left a foul taste in his mouth. The doctor left them once they reached the room where Aang lay, to check on other patients. With a shared look and a deep breath, the couple entered. There was the smell of antiseptic in the air, much like the rest of the hospital, the room pristine.
On the best nearest the window lay the pale form of his best friend. If not for the beeping of the heart monitor, Sokka would have thought Aang was dead. Just the thought made his heart twinge, but when he heard the muffled sob from his girlfriend, he pushed his feelings aside and focused on her. Tears were streaming down her face as she stared at her brother. It brought that sense of frustration back ten fold, wishing none of this had happened, least of all to those he cared about. Sokka was going to everything he could to bring comfort...even if it meant little.
Rubbing her shoulder, he murmured, "Go to him."
Suki looked at him with huge, watery eyes before turning to Aang. Slowly she slipped out of his embrace to take the chair near the bed, grasping a limp, pale hand. She laid her head down holding tight as if believing that he would disappear if she let go. Sokka took the other seat on the opposite side, gazing down at the boy who had risked his life to save his sister.
Aang looked peaceful, as if he didn't have a care in the world. But Sokka knew just how much the kid had hidden, the pain of the past leaving both physical and emotional scars no one so young should have. He lowered his head and thought back to when he was little, after finding out his mother had died in a hit and run. His entire world then had been shrouded in darkness, a palpable shadow that took away a part of someone's childhood.
"Don't look so serious," a weak voice joked, causing Sokka's head to jerk up. Aang's gray eyes were open, a barely-there grin on his face. The relief the older boy felt was nearly overwhelming. Suki covered her mouth with her free hand when she met his eyes, and Aang looked over to her, face gentle with warm affection. "Hey, sis. Fancy seeing you here."
She was crying and trying to speak. "You moron," she reprimanded, smiling sadly. "You could have died, you brave fool."
He tried to shrug, but then winced as his hand grabbed the wound. Sokka gently laid his hand upon his, removing it from the bandage that was surly underneath the gown. "Try not to move buddy. Take it easy." The absolute last thing needed was another surgery; he didn't think Aang could handle that so soon.
Aang, seeming to realize something, met his eyes in a panic, breath coming in fast. "How's Katara? Is she...is she alright?" The worry and love in his gaze was hard to miss. He didn't care if something happened to him; in his mind, Katara was one of the few that really mattered in this world.
Taking a breath, he answered, "Physically, she's okay." Yeah, but mental-wise? Not so much, it would seem. She had seemed kind of numb when she explained what had happened at the park. How unfocused her gaze had been, as if going back to just that afternoon when everything had seemed to fall apart. She had looked...haunted, to say the least. Even the death of their own mother hadn't left her like this.
To be honest, it was a miracle she was even speaking after the incident. Katara was a strong, young woman, who had her share of hardships. But this was on another level entirely. She had been forced to shoot that gun, choosing to retaliate instead of just sitting there, waiting to be slaughtered. He could only pray that she would have the strength to overcome this hurdle.
Aang sank into the bed, moaning a little in pain. "I tried to make her run," he whispered, eyes watering. "She should not have been in that fight."
Suki, seeing how distraught Aang had become, jumped in at that moment. "Aang, Katara cares about you. I think you know her well enough to realize that she would never turn her back on someone in need. That's how she is."
"But she-" he started in a protest.
"Saved your life," she stated, looking hard at her brother. "As you saved hers."
The adoptive siblings stared at each other for a long moment; it seemed, however, that time stood still, as if a boulder blocked the flow. After that space of time, Aang looked down. "I guess so," he murmured before looking at Sokka. "She's not hurt, though, right?"
Wanting to be supportive but truthful, he said, "Katara's okay, Aang. But it's going to take a long while before she's mentally alright."
Grief came across Aang's face as a hand rose to cover it. "This is my fault."
The couple looked at him in shock. "Aang, no," Suki gently, grasping his shoulder. "None of this-"
He shrugged her off, looking up angrily. "If I hadn't come here, none of this would have happened! I should have gone somewhere else, or maybe I'm supposed to be dead!" He looked down, hands tight on his sheets. His knuckles were white on the fabric.
Sokka could not believe what was coming out of the boy's mouth. Did Aang really believe that death was the answer? Did he want to be? No, not Aang; he was just emotionally stressed by the circumstances, but the pain in his voice was real. He did believe that they were safer if he wasn't around. The kid had been through so much, but this fight with the Viper had seemed to break something inside him.
Katara could have been killed. There was no sugar coating the fact. If not for their teamwork, however, both would have died that day. Even at the expense of someone getting hurt. Perhaps a little reminder may be in order.
Sokka leaned forward a bit. "Aang," he said gently and, after a moment, the teenager met his gaze hesitantly. "Remember this, okay? You did not ask to be kidnapped, you were forced into prostitution, and Azula is the one causing all these problems. Not you."
Aang had gone paler than he already was. But at least he seemed to be listening. Sokka continued. "We are fighting alongside you, to stop the source of these troubles. Having you die won't solve anything; Azula will still be out there, tormenting someone else for her own sick games. We need you to help stop her. You're not alone: We've got your back."
Aang looked between the two of them, tears staining his cheeks as his friend spoke. Sokka wanted to get the message across that this was a fight he wasn't alone in. After the day's events, it made sense that the guy would be down on himself, hitting rock bottom. But there was light, even in these dark times, that told how important Aang was. His story was one of rising to the challenge, even when things seemed hopeless.
Sokka wasn't going to let his best friend down.
Suki grabbed his hands, firmly loosening them. "We got you, bro. We're not going anywhere."
Aang looked at her for a a few seconds before turning to Sokka, whispering, "Promise?"
Sokka held out his arm, waiting for his friend to grasp his forearm. Once he did, albeit slowly, he gently squeezed back, saying, "Promise."
They stared at each other for a long time before Aang nodded, letting go and leaning back against the pillow. "Thank you," he murmured, exhaustion emanating from every portion of his being.
Suki ran a hand through his hair, kissing his forehead as she stood. "Get some rest, Aang. You're safe now."
Sokka stood as well as Aang fell out, succumbing to the tiredness that plagued him. Just as they were leaving, the doctor came back to check on them. The couple told him that Aang had woken up briefly but went back to sleep after a short conversation. They didn't reveal what had been said, of course; it was no one's business but theirs.
After meeting up with his dad, the trio left the hospital, heading for their separate vehicles. Hakoda needed to head back to the station as the couple went to the Rivers abode. Suki had her hand on his as they drove away, both silent with their thoughts. Sokka remained focused on the road, wanting nothing more than to sleep. It had been a taxing day for them all.
When they got their, Sokka looked at his girlfriend. "Will you stay?"
She nodded, not saying a word as they left the car and went inside. They followed the familiar route to his room, where they both collapsed on the bed, snuggling. Feeling how tense she was, Sokka rubbed her shoulder where he held her. Her scent, a citrus and lemongrass blend, filled his nose, making him warm. How he loved this young woman; she was the only bright point for a long time after Yue died.
Now that he was with her, he was going to do everything he can to prevent another accident that could take her away. She and his family mattered to him ore than he could ever admit. No one was going to take them away; he would fight tooth and nail to stop that from happening.
After a while she said, "I want to take that woman down."
He pulled her closer to kiss her forehead. "We will."
Suki lifted her head to look at him, eyes burning like the blue part of a flame. "She had no right to do what she did. Azula needs to be taken out; it's the only way to bring peace to our friends. To everyone she and her ancestors had harmed."
Sokka grasped her chin, placing his forehead on hers. "I know. For now, we can only hope that Dad finds a lead. There's not much we can do but be ready." As much as waited sucked, they couldn't do anything but be prepared for the inevitable to happen. But he wanted this threat to be over, so he knew it was going to take time.
Suki nodded before leaning in to kiss him softly. "I love you," she whispered.
Sokka was surprised but pleased when she said it. It was the first time those words passed her lips, but once they did, he knew she meant them. There was only thing to do...
"I love you, too, Suki."
She smiled at him before snuggling into his neck and drifted off to sleep. He held her close as he, too, fell into the darkness of slumber, silently praying all would work out in the end.